Latch



March 31, 1931; A, EKMAN *1,798,148

.LATCH Filed April 8. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l Z v INVENToR. e/ indre/r 7mmATTORNE,

March 31, 1931.` A, EKMAN 1,798,148

LATCH Filed April 8, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I Ummmlnnrfm Patented Mar.31, 1931 UNITED STATES;

PATENT? OFFICE;

ANDREW nxrrAN, or; en -AND RArrDs;lurenICTJAN,V AssIeNon ro GRAND.RAPIDS BnAss COMPANY, orl GRAND nArrDs, MrcnrGAN LATCH Applicationfiled. April, 1929.. Serial Nzo. 353,318,

The main objects of this inventionl are First, to provide a reversiblelatch Well adapted for refrigerators and the like, which is very simplein structure and at the same 5 time strong and durable.

Second, to provide a reversible latchj in which the bolt'isautomatically locked inl its retracted position to be: released engage,-ment with a tappet as the door i-s swung to 1e Closed position.

Objects pertaining tojdetaijls and. economies of my invention willdefinitely appear' from the description to follow. The invention isdefined in the claims.

A structure which embodies the features of my'invent-ion isclearlyillustrated in the accompanying drawing in which;

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of a refrigerator door andcasing having a latch 2o and keeper applied thereto in operativerelation, the latch casing being shown in section to disclose thearrangement of parts therein, the boltf pivot also being shownl insection..

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front elevation corresponding to that of Fig. 1with the latch in 'retracted posit-ion.l

Fig. 3 is a :fragmentary view partially in section` on line of Fig, 1.

Figlie is. a fragmentary side elevation. with 3 0 the parts in thepositionshown in Fig; 2.

Fig. 5 is a detail section on a. line corresponding to line 5.-5, ofFig. 3,.

a In the accompanying drawing 1 represents a refrigerator casing and 2.adoor. The latch housing 3 is-provided with attaching flanges et and witha base plate Thev front Walli` otthe housing has an elongatedV opening 7therein. while the rear Wallv has, an opening 8. The lever-like-bolt- 9,irs-arranged; through both oi; these, openings.. .The bolt. is providedwith a' handpi'eee 10 at, its rear end.` and. with a strike engagingroller ll 'at its front end.

The bolt 9 has an elongated. pvot engag- :ing opening 12 coacting withthepivot 1301i the housings@ that the bolt has a pvotaland longitudinal.movement on the pivot, fpvot isf arrangedthreu a tongue-like Sunporlt',la which. is, formed ystrking. in tion of: 'the rear Wall 1.5 'of vthehousingin 50 the.; @Peeing .1S tlfrerem pivot is provided with a head16. and is upset at 1.7 into the base plate,A .constituting a tie orsecuring member for the base plate. The` pivot is thus effectivelysupported Without detacingthe top of. the housing. v

Thev bolt. is provided with a longitudinal 21,. thereby forming spacedfulcrum points 23 upon which the toggle member rocks. rThe inclinedportions 22 engage the abutment when the latch is in retracted positionas shown in Fig; 2.

Thecross portion. of the toggle member is of such length that the sideWalls of the housingy serve to limitV its lateral movement, the end ofthe toggle member engaging the side Wall, during the initial movementofk the bolt from its central position. i

The strike 24. is provided with a down- This, toggle member 19 has a;flat Wardly andy inwardly inclined. face 25 with which. the` roller 11engages,.acting to draw the, door against` its jlambp The strike isprovided. with a tappet 26v With. which the bolt engages in they eventVof the door being closed with the latch in retracted position. Thistappet has a rearwardly and dou'n- Wardlyinclined face 27 so that theend of the holt issvvungdownwardly tobreak the toggle and the boltforced into engagement with the` keeper by means of the Spne By thisarrangement of.' parte the Parts may be of substantial size, evenin acompact Structure. Furtlfier,`- comparatively few parts arerequired-and. they are arranged. S0 that thereisf a minimi-wwf Wearthereon.-

'heveg'llhsirated ,and described .my improvements embodied inlfefr'geratcr latches Myf interamente are hQWeveh' pivot whereby thebolt is supported for piv-V otal and longitudinal movement, said bolthaving a recess open to said pivot, a coiled spring arranged in saidrecess to engage said pivot, and a toggle member pivotally mount ed onsaid bolt to engage the front Wall of the housing, the housing engaginga face of said toggle member having a-tlat central portion and inclinedportions at each end thereof, the side walls of the housing coactingwith the ends of thetoggle member to limit its lateral movement wherebythe bolt is yieldingly held in a central position or at either end ofits stroke.

2. In a latch, the combination of a housing having openingsin its frontand rear walls, a pivot carried by said housing, a bolt arranged throughsaidV openings and having an elongated pivot Vopening engaged by saidpivot whereby the bolt is supported for pivotal and longitudinalmovement, said bolt having a recess open to said pivot, a coiled springarranged in said recess to engage said pivot, and a toggle memberpivotally mounted on said bolt to engage the front wall of the housing,the housing engaging face of said toggle member having a flat centralportion and inclined portions at each end thereof.

3. In a latch, the combination oi a housing having openings in its frontand rear walls, a pivot carried by said housing, a bolt arranged throughsaid openings and having an elongated pivot opening engaged by saidpivot whereby the bolt is supported for pivotal and longitudinalmovement, said bolt having a recess open to said pivot, a coiled springarranged in said recess to engage said pivot, and a toggle memberpivotally mounted on said bolt and'having an angled face engaging the'front Wall of the housing.

Il. In a latch, the combination of a housing having openings in itsfront and rear walls, a pivot carried by said housing` a bolt arrangedthrough said openings and having an elongated pivot opening engaged 'bysaid pivot whereby the bolt is supported for pivotal and longitudinalmovement, said bolt having a recess open to said` pivot, a .coiledspring arranged in said recessto engage said pivot and bolt, and amember pivotally mounted on said bolt at thefront of said bolt pivot andhaving spaced fulcrums disposed on oppositesides of itslongitudinalcenter to engage the front wall of the housing.

'5'.*In`a latch-,the combination of a -housing, a pivot carried by saidhousing, a bolt projecting from said housing and having an elongatedpivot opening engaging said pivot whereby the bolt is supported forpivotal and longitudinal movement, said bolt having a recess open tosaid pivot, a coiled 'spring arranged in said recess to engage saidpivot, and -'a toggle member pivotally mounted on said bolt and havingspaced fulcrums Vengaging the :tront Wall of 'the housing, the sidewalls of thehousing coacting with the toggle member to limit its lateralmovement whereby when both the ulcrums are engaged with .the wall of thehousing the bolt is held yieldingly in a. central position, the fulcrumsbeing positioned so that the axis of the pivot for the toggle member tothe bolt Vswings across a plane through the axis of thev bolt pivot andthe fulcrum point when the bolt is swung to and from retracted position.

6. In a latch, the combination of 'a housing, a pivot carried by-saidhousing, a. bolt projecting from said housing and having an elongatedpivot opening engaging saidpivotwhereby the bolt is supportedfoi-pivotal and longitudinal movement, said bolt'having a recess opentosaid pivot, a coiled spring arranged in said recess to engage saidpivot, and a toggle member pivotally mounted on said bolt and havingspaced fulcrums engaging the front wall of the housing, the t'ulcrumsbeing positioned so that the aXis of the pivot for the toggle member tothe bolt swings across a plane through the axis of the bolt pivot andthe fulcrum point when'tlie bolt is swung to and from retractedposition. v

7. In a latch, the combination with a support, of a bolt mounted on saidsupport for pivotal and longitudinal movement, an abutment on saidsupport, a toggle member pivotally mounted on said bolt in spacedrelation to its pivot and in the planeotl the Vlongitudinal center ofthe bolt and provided with spaced ulcrum points disposed on oppositesides of its longitudinal center and coacting with said abutment, and aspring engaging said bolt and acting to urge said toggle against saidabutment.

8. In a latch, the combination with a support, of a bolt mounted on saidsupport for pivotal and longitudinal movement, an abutmenton saidsupport, a'toggle member pivotally mounted on said bolt in spacedrelation toits pivot and in the lplane of thelongitudi nal center of theboltV and provided with spaced fulcrum points disposed-on opposite sidesof its longitudinal centerand coacting with said abutment,` and a springacting to Y `125 urge said toggle against said abutment.

9. In a latch, the combination with a support, ofabolt mounted'on saidsupport for 'pivotal and longitudinal movement, an abutment-onasaidsupport, atoggle member pivotally mounted on said bolt in spacedrelation l1'30 Y to its pivot and in the plane of the longitudinalcenter of the bolt and provided With a fulcrum coacting with saidabutment, and a spring acting on said bolt to urge said toggle memberagainst said abutment, said fulcrum being positioned so that the axis ofthe pivot for the toggle to the bolt swings across a plane through theaxis of the bolt pivot and the fulcrum point when the bolt is svvung toand from retracted position, the toggle member being provided withabutment engaging portions at each side of its ulcrum.

l0. In a latch, the combination with a housing comprising atop and anintegral side wall, a portion of said Wall being struck inwardly to forma bolt opening and providing a pivot support, said pivot support havinga pivot opening therein, a bolt, and a pivot for said bolt arrangedthrough said Z0 opening in said support and provided With a headdisposed between the support and the top of the housing.

ll. Ina latch, the combination of a support, a bolt mounted on saidsupport for pivotal and longitudinal movement, a toggle member pivotallymounted on said bolt, an abutment on said support with Which said toggleis rockingly associated, said toggle having an angled abutment engagingface, and a spring coacting with said bolt to urge said toggle memberagainst its abutment.

l2. In a latch, the combination With a support, of a bolt mounted onsaid support for pivotal and longitudinal movement, a toggle memberpivotally mounted on said bolt in spaced relation to said bolt pivot andin the longitudinal center of the bolt and provided With spaced ulcrumpoints engaging said support, said support being provided With partscoacting With the ends of the toggle member to limit its lateralmovement, and a spring coating with said bolt to urge said toggle memberagainst its coacting abutment on said support. In witness whereof,Ilhave hereunto set my hand.

ANDREW EKMAN.

